Search for Timothy Busfield, accused of child sex abuse, now includes U.S. Marshals Service: reports

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The search for actor Timothy Busfield, who is facing accusations of child sex abuse, has expanded. New Mexico officials are now working with the U.S. Marshals Service to find him, according to several news reports.

The Albuquerque Police Department is working with federal authorities to find and arrest Emmy-winning actor Busfield. Police did not respond to requests for confirmation on Tuesday.

A New Mexico judge has ordered the arrest of the 68-year-old actor, famous for his work in shows like “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething.” He faces charges of sexually abusing two brothers, both child actors, while filming the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.” The charges include two counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of child abuse.

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I was shocked to hear the accusations against Timothy Busfield. It’s really unsettling, and I noticed Melissa Gilbert seems to have taken down her Instagram account – the link just leads to an error now. It’s a tough situation, and I can understand why she might want to step away from social media right now.

Representatives for Busfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

A legal warrant examined by The Times claims that director Busfield inappropriately touched two children while working on a TV series filmed in New Mexico. Following the public disclosure of these allegations, both Fox and Warner Bros. Television, the producer of “Cleaning Lady,” stated that the well-being of their cast and crew is a top priority. They also confirmed they are cooperating and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds.

According to a legal complaint, actor and producer James Busfield, who worked on “The Cleaning Lady,” repeatedly touched a young actor in inappropriate places. The actor claims Busfield first touched him inappropriately when he was 7 years old, and again when he was 8. The complaint also states the child has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, experiences bed-wetting, and has nightmares about the alleged incidents with Busfield.

The police started looking into claims against Busfield in November 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported suspected abuse of the child actors. The investigation involved speaking with the children, their doctors and therapists, crew members from the show “Cleaning Lady,” and both Busfield and his wife, Melissa Gilbert.

Entertainment & Arts

Grammy-winning gospel singer and minister Donnie McClurkin, known for his public stance against homosexuality, is facing a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by a former male assistant.

According to a sworn statement, Busfield said Warner Bros. Television informed him in spring 2025 they were investigating complaints “about him” made by some of the young actors. He also told the investigator that the actors’ mother may have been seeking “revenge” because he didn’t include her children in the show’s final season.

Fox canceled “The Cleaning Lady” in June after four seasons.

After accusations against her husband became public, Gilbert stopped using social media, and her Instagram profile was reportedly deleted. Previously, in November, she had used Instagram to criticize Megyn Kelly’s statement about Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Gilbert disagreed with Kelly’s claim that Epstein wasn’t a pedophile because he was attracted to minors who were ‘barely legal,’ such as 15-year-olds.

Actor Pablo Schreiber, who faced a sexual assault allegation in the 1990s, appeared in a recent episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” However, NBC has decided not to air that episode. Instead, they will broadcast a different episode next Thursday. The network has not released a statement about the decision.

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2026-01-13 22:31